Maria Strydom and Robert Gropel's tragic adventure on Mount Everest ERYK BAGSHAWFACEBOOK Maria Strydom and her husband Robert Gropel. Adventure turned to tragedy for a young Australian couple on Saturday, after coming within touching distance of their life goal, the summit of Mount Everest. Furtengi Sherpa, the Operational Manager of Seven Summit Treks, said that Maria Strydom had been battling illness as the final push began. The expedition had already lost another climber by the time the elements had taken hold of Maria Strydom. "The Monash University community is deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of Strydom on Mount Everest," the Melbourne university said in a statement.

Source: Stuff May 22, 2016 13:51 UTC